Anyone know if this is what it looks like? To me, it looks like an Oil...

[Up2Late]

...spill, floating on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. <http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?USA7/2006104>

Granted, it's probably very light oil, possibly diesel grade, but still, if true, it would be a huge surface oil slick.

To see what I'm talking about well, you need to click on the Aqua True color or the Aqua 721 (infrared) 250m resolution, and look at the dark swirls in the sun reflection between the tip of Louisiana over to south of Cape St. Joe off the Florida coast. I've often wondered about these types of dark swirls that sometimes show up when the satellite gets this sort of sun refection off the surface of the Ocean (or Gulf in this case).

I've seen features like this before, but never this big anywhere else, even the Gulf of Mexico.

For clarity, these are the thumbnails to the two images I'm referring to:

MODIS Aqua
True color


MODIS Aqua
721


Also: This is an exceptionally clear view of the Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas! (in the lower right corner).

[Sinti]

1. Dead zone maybe? n/t

[shraby]

2. Oil bubbles to the surface of the water

from underground in the Gulf of Mexico. That may be what you're looking at???

[JohnnyRingo]

3. It's an inrared image

Unlike a satalite photo it displays temputures in different colors.
The cooler the temp...the darker the color.
Different surfaces reflect different temps.

I think those are cooler areas of the water.

[Up2Late]

4. The bands used in the 721 infrared image from MODIS...

...aren't sensitive enough to show temperature differences, this type of infrared is the reflectance sensitivity type. I only pointed out that the 721 image was infrared because, you see a difference on the land areas and when there silt in the water. The silt shows up as a light blue, but you can still see what I'm asking about in the 721 image too.

It's much easier to see it in the "true color" image.

I've see some of the MODIS Sub-sets that had the water and land temperatures processed into the image, but they are much more colorful. I'll see if I can find one to show you the difference with this satellite.

On Edit: O.K., I found the image that shows the temperature differences, but it's a two click process.

First, click this link: <http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?A061041850>

This takes you to the RAW image. Then, look to the left and you'll see some small thumbnails. Scroll to the bottom one which is labeled "LST" and it looks like the same image with really bright colors. Click that, and it will take you to the 2km resolution temperature image. There's also a link to the 1km resolution image (middle left).

[JohnnyRingo]

5. OK....

You're way past me.
Hahaha
Oil slick it is.